I first stepped on a plane when I was nineteen years old – a trip to Puerto Rico to visit my boyfriend’s family. In the years prior, I’d never journeyed further than what was reachable by car. Standing inside the airport, passport in hand, I knew that travel was about to play a much larger role in my life.

That first trip abroad not only altered the path of my career but sparked my curiosity about the world beyond New York (and Puerto Rico). Since that ‘fateful’ flight in 2016, you could say I’m making up for lost time. At Black Tomato, we really value the importance of thoughtfulness. As an Operations Executive, I get to be intimately involved with helping travelers have the best and smoothest possible time while they’re on the road with us. It’s our job to pay very close attention to what they need – as well as where they’re going. We travel with them by proxy.

Next on my list? While I’m truly excited to visit any place I get the opportunity to go to, a safari in Africa is at the very top.